Will you be Wii'ing this Christmas?

By redlined on Wednesday, November 1st, 2006 comments

This isn't for those those too old to control their bodily functions, but for those like myself who still haven't bought a 'next-gen' console and are considering the Nintendo Wii, will you be Wii'ing this Christmas?

With Christmas fast approaching consumers will have to decide between the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, or wait until March 2007 for Sony's PS3. This article summarises the Wii's best features with some quick comparisons to the competition.

Price - The Nintendo Wii will cost £179//€249//$250 which is a little cheaper than the Xbox360 ($40), a lot cheaper than the PS3 ($250) but do remember you'll need at least two Wiimotes for the most fun (and extra £30).

Size, noise & looks - The Xbox 360 is a loud and ugly with a power supply the size of 4 house bricks. The Wii clicks when it sucks your game disc in, and the power supply is integrated in to the shiny gloss white box. For now, Nintendo have stated only a white version will be available.

Making a knob of yourself Extend the Christmas festivities all year round with some physical immersing gaming using the motion & acceleration controllers.

Photos (and MP3) - Browse media from the SD card slot, great if you have a digital camera and wanna show off your new photos in the living room to visitors.

Backwards compatibility - Still play the huge back cataqlogue of Gamecube titles which will be available at budget prices now as the Gamecube hardware is phased out. Also use all your old Gamecube controllers without buying any adapters (bongos, dancemat, wavebirds etc.)

Wireless - The 360 doesn't have built in as standard and requires a WiFi network adapter whereas the Wii has 802.11b/g built in. Wireless comes as standard on the premium PS3 pack, costing another $100.

Availabilty - European launch is due on the 8th of December with the US on the19th of November. The PS3 isn't due out for another 4 months. The timing is perfect for Christmas, can you wait until March 2007 for the PS3?

Virtual console channel - The ability to get Nintendo NES/SNES games online for a few dollars - nostaglia pwns!

Online gaming - Completely free unlike the Xbox360 ($50 for Xbox live Gold). Sony has promised a basic free online service, but games publishers may still charge their own fees (like World of Warcraft).

Online browser - Not a huge point but still good for laming on the net on the big plasma, uses Opera too. This is free for Wii owners buying their kit in the next 5 months. After that you'll have to buy it via the console dashboard.

What will you be playing this Christmas?

You can now pre-order the console in the UK from play.com and have it delivered free on the day of launch at the price of £179.99 - bargain!

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